Mop holder



y 1934- v. s. FIRESTONE 1,959,949

MOP HOLDER Filed. Nov. 30. 193?.

Patented May 22 1934 UETED PATENT oFFICE Arcade Manufacturing a corporation of Illinois Application November 30,

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to mop holders of the type comprising a bar forming a handle portion provided at one end with relatively movable jaws between which the swab is releasably 5 clamped and means, as for example comprising a pivoted lever, co-operating with one end of a coil spring held at its opposite end against displacement, for controlling the relative positioning of said jaws and operative to compress said spring in moving to jaw-clamping position; and more particularly, though not exclusively, to mop holders in which one of the jaws is stationary and the other jaw movable and actuated by said means.

My object generally stated is to provide a novel, simple and economical construction of mop holder of the kind above referred to. Specifically stated my object is to provide improvements in the means which hold the spring against dis- 20 placement.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of my improved mop holder, a portion of the handle being broken away and the swab omitted.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mop-head having the fixed jaw of the mop holder; and

Figure 3, a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

In the particular construction shown the handle, or bar, portion of the mop represented at 4 and which is commonly made of wood, is provided at its outer end with a head 5 shown as formed of sheet metal and comprising the stationary one of the swab-holding jaws of the device, this jaw member being formed from a single sheet of metal as hereinafter described and presenting projecting portions 6 forming a ferrule at which the head fits over the outer end of the handle 4, the head being held on the handle 4 by means of a nail driven through a hole in the ferrule and into the handle.

The device also comprises a movable bail-like jaw 7 for co-operation with the stationary jaw 4 as in constructions as hitherto provided, the rear arms of the bail represented at 8 being connected with a plate-like member 9 which opposes a side of the handle 4 and is transversely curved presenting rearwardly extending ears 10 to which the arms 8 are pivotally connected, the forward end of the plate-like member 9 being formed with a loop 11.

The device also involves a coil spring 12 which surrounds the handle 4 and is compressible in a direction lengthwise of the latter. The outer end of the spring co-operates with stop-surfaces here- Company, Freeport, 111.,

1932, Serial No. 645,075

inafter described and the other end thereof extends at a convolution loosely through the loop 11 of plate 9.

The stationary jaw, or head, 5, preferably formed as stated from a single sheet of metal, comprises two side plate portions 13 spaced apart and bridged by a web portion 14 bent to form a groove 15 extending lengthwise thereof and over which the bar portion of the yoke-jaw 7 extends. The plate portions 13 carry the ferrule-forming portions 6 integral therewith, which are pressed into curved shape as shown to fit about the handle 4. The portions 6 each of which forms a onehalf section of the ferrule are connected together along their lengthwise extending joints by lateral projections 16 on one of the ferrule portions 6 and by projections 1'7 on the other ferrule portion, the projections 17 being longer than the projections 16 and being bent around the latter as shown thus interlocking these parts.

The projections 16 and 17 thus form a pair of diametrically opposed wings, or lugs, 18 which extend crosswise of the spring 12 and present stop surfaces at 19 which face in a direction away from the stationary jaw and oppose the adjacent end of the spring.

At a point between the lugs 18 one of the ferrule portions 6 is provided with a laterally extending lug 20 bent from the metal of the ferrule and presenting a stop surface at 21 which faces in a direction toward the stationary jaw, the adjacent end of the spring 12 being looped at a deflected portion 22 thereof over the lug 20.

As will be understood from the foregoing, the thrust of the spring 12 when the swab is clamped to the head is taken by the lug-forming wings 18 against the surfaces 19 of which the adjacent end of the spring bears. When the pressure on the spring is released the lug 20 engaging at its surface 21 with the end convolution of the spring prevents the spring from slipping down the handle 4 away from the head.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit 100 it thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a mop holder of the type embodying a mop stick; a compression-spring controlled bail; and a mophead formed of an integral, sheet metal blank bent to provide a jaw to cooperate with the bail, and a socket formed of complementary parts 110 open end of said socket to provide an abutment for the bail controlling spring, and a tab projecting from the upper edge of said socket at a position spaced about said socket from said first named tabs to provide an anchorage for the spring against separation from said abutment.

VANCE S. FIRESTONE. 

